News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-07-14
HIS VERY BEST FRIEND.
The Story of the Miner and His
Horse.
From the Youths Companion.l

home is III an adjoining county, anC
who lives alone in "a small cabin situated
in the foothills several miles from his
nearest neighbor; reached home IiBoui
dusk from an extended prospecting tom
almost worn out and sick. lie removed
the saddle and bride from his horse and
turned him loose to Craze, and, entering
his cabin, threw himself down upon his
cot and soon fell into a restless slumbcr.
from which he awoke late in the night
with raging fever.
| Almost delirious, he knew not what to
do, being alone and without medicine:
1t might happen that some neighbor
would pass by in the morning; but there
was no certainty that any person would
call for days, or possibly weeks:
A realization of his helpless condition
aggravated his disease, and the poor
man grew worse. Morning came, and
he was unable to leave his bed. His
| horse, his one faithful companion,
could be heard near by, evidently
waiting for his coming.
All day long the animal remained
within hearing distance, and during the
| long, tedious hours of the second night
could be heard moving about with rest
less tread, as though conscious that
| some misfortune had befallen his
| master.
Daylight appeared at last, and tho
sick man made an effort to speak The
horse, hearing the welcome voice, went
to the door of the cabin, and pushing it
open, thrust his head into the sick
mans presence, at the same time giving
q low whinny, us much as to say, "What
is the NATTER to which kindly inquiry
there was no response save moan of
distress.
For a moment or two the horse stared
strangely about, seemingly bewildered,
then quickly withdrew and in few mo-
ments galloped rapidly away. As the
sound Uf die nUISe's feet died away tho
sick man felt t-ts though his only friend
and means of relief were now lost to him,
and he shuddered at the thought that
he might fall into that never waking
sleep before any person could know that
he was ill.,
The nearest neighbor of the sick man
was a ranchman, whose home was loca-
ted on the river about six miles distant.
Once in while this neighbor rode over
to the miners camp for a short visit, but
these trips were made at irregular inter-
walls, and there was no certainty when he
would be there again.
The ranchman on the river had finish
ed his breakfast and was just coming out
of his house when his attention was at
tracted to a riderless horse coming
down the mountain road at a tremendous
gallop.
The horse did not slacken his speed
until he reached the corral, or inclosure
near the house. He was fiecked with
foam and short of breath, showing that
he had come from distance at an un-
usual speed.
The ranchman, knowing the horse,
spoke to him gently, which the animal
acknowledged by a loud whinny, at the
same time running restlessly up and
down the road by the corral. The ranch
man approached the horse, which, how.
ever, would not suffer itself to be cap
tured, but galloped off toward its home,
stopping at short distance and looking
back with evident anxiety.
The ranchman returned to the corral,
when the horse again galloped down the
road and moved uneasily about, as if de-
termined to attract attention, whinnying
and occasionally giving a loud snort as
though frightened.
Another attempt to capture the horse,
which usually was a very gentle crea-
ture, succeeded no better than the first,
the animal avoiding the man in man.
ner hitherto unknown. The horse ran
up the road again and called to the man
to follow-called to him by every dunno
sign almost as plainly as though he were
possessed of the power of speech.
These unusual proceedings SO inn
pressed the ranchman that ne felt that
something was wrong. Gould it be that
| Galena George-as the miner and owner
of the horse was called-had met with
| some mishap2 Maybe he had been
lers,' or had accidentally fallen into the
| shaft of his mine without the means of
| escape.
The strange conduct of the horse in
dicated that something unusual had
happened, and that was enough to
prompt the ranchman to speedy action.
Calling one of his assistants, the men
saddled two of the best horses on the
place, and securing their revolvers to
guard against danger, and providing
some medicine and stimulants to use in
case of emergency, they rode rapidly
away in the direction of Galena Georges
cabin.
Georges horse, observing this move
ment, manifested great pleasure, and
started on gallop toward his home.
The horsemen followed at lively pace,
but the free horse kept well to the front,
now and then looking back as if to be
sure that the chase had not been aban
doned.
On they sped, and in about forty min
utes from the time of starting the men
reached the cabin of their friend, which
appeared to be deserted.
The men dismounted, and entering
the cabin found George upon his couch,
wasted in form and apparently dead,
and at the door stood the faithful horse,
which, having tried to save his master,
was patiently waiting for some sign that
he yet lived. The sad sight was so
touching as to force tears to the eyes of
the men who had been guided by the
noble brute to the rescue.
A hasty examination disclosed the
fact that life was not extinct, and while
one of the men set about preparations
for the relief of the sick man, the other
his horse and galloped away
for a physician, the nearest of whom
lived some twenty miles away.
Before shutdown of that day the doc
tor reached the miners cabin and found
skillful ministrations of his kind neigh
Dor. Within fortnight he was able to
walk about When told of the remark
able conduct of his horse, the man wept
like q child. He said he had always
known that his horse was unusually in
telligent and affectionate, but he could
scarcely believe the story of his wonder
full sagacity.
George is in good health again, and
the care and attention which he bestows
upon his horse are like the care of de-
voted mother for q favored son. Not
long since gentleman, having learned
Of the incident related above, expressed
a desire to purchase the horse, but
George informed him that no amount of
money could tempt him to part with the
animal; that it was his intention to keep
him as long as he lived, upon the very
very best that the land could produce,
and when he died to bury him decently
and erect over his grave monument
with the inscription. "To my best
friend"